Weaving machine

ABSTRACT

A weaving machine of the type having at least at one side a weft inserting device and at the other side, carried by the reed, a catching means and a clamping means cooperating therewith, for receiving, catching and tensioning the weft threads launched through the weaving shed, has a guiding piece mounted on the reed which is adjustable in the weft direction and is provided with a receiving channel situated in the insertion path of the weft yarn, which channel deviates at its end remote from the weft inserting device into the beating up direction of the reed and is open towards the beating up side along its complete length, the catching means being positioned in front of the deviated receiving channel end and being movable from a receiving position, corresponding with the retracted reed position, in the weft direction relative to the clamping means which is also carried by the reed towards a clamping position corresponding with the beating up position of the reed.

i451 Sept. 30,1975

United States Patent 1191 Van Mullekom WEAVING MACHINE Inventor: HubertPeter van Mullekom, Primary Exmnmer-Henry S. Jaudon D-eume, NetherlandsAttorney, Agent, or FirnzMarshall & Yeasting N. V. Machinefabriek L. TeStrake,

Deurne, Netherlands Apr. 11, 1974 ABSTRACT [73} Assignee:

I A weaving machine of the type having at least at one [22] Filed.

side a weft inserting device and at the other side, car- Appl. No.:459,868 ried by the reed, a catching means and a clamping Related U SApplication Data means cooperating therewith, for receiving, catchingContinuation-impart of Ser. No. 264,645, June 20, 1972, abandoned.

and tensioning the weft threads launched through the weaving shed,

has a guiding piece mounted on the reed which is adjustable in the weftdirection and is [30] Foreign Application Prior), Data provided with areceiving channel situated in the insertion path of the weft yarn, whichchannel deviates June 21, I971 Netherlands.. 718526 at its end remotefrom the Weftv inserting device into the beating up direction of, thereed and is open towards the beating up side along its complete length,the catching means being positioned in front of the deviated receivingchannel end and being movable from a receiving position, correspondingwith the retracted in the weft direction relative to the clamping meanswhich is also carried by the reed reed position,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS towards a clamping positioncorresponding with the beating up position of the reed.

139/194 6 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures mm t mk Seo nH w FMY 7-3 777 999 NH47 3003 993 084 8*.4 333 US. Patent Sept. 30,1975 Sheet10f3 3,908,710

Sept. 30,1975 Sheet 2 of 3 3,908,710

US. Patent US. Patent Sept. 30,1975 Sheet 3 of3 3,908,710

WEAVING MACHINE CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This is acontinuation-in-part of abandoned application Ser. No. 264,645, filedJune 20, 1972.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a weaving machineof the type in which at least at one side a weft inserting device isprovided and at the other side a device is provided, carried by the reedand having a catching means and a clamping means cooperating therewith,for receiving, catching and tensioning the weft threads launched throughthe weaving shed. I

Such a weaving machine is described in Dutch pat. application no.7016178. In that machine the catching means which, in combination withthe clamping means, serves to tension a weft length inserted into theweaving shed by the welf inserting device at the moment of the beatingup by the reed, has a fixed position on the reed beam, viz. at the endof the tunnel delimited by the plurality of substantially U-shaped reedblades. As a consequence thereof, when weaving smaller cloth widths thanthe maximum cloth width for which the machine has been designed, it hasto be operated with weft lengths corresponding with the maximum clothwidth in order to have the weft ends, projecting beyond the cloth,caught by the catching means and have them clamped in cooperation withthe clamping means.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention aims at improving said machine sothat smaller cloth widths may be woven on a machine adapted for apredetermined maximum cloth width, while retaining the tensioningfunction during the beating up by the reed with correspondingly shorterweft lengths.

Therefore according to the invention a guiding piece mounted on the reedis adjustable in the weft direction and is provided with a receivingchannel situated in the insertion path of the weft yarn, which channeldeviates at its end remote from the weft inserting device into thebeating up direction of the reed and is open towards the beating up sidealong its complete length, the catching means being positioned in frontof the deviated receiving channel end and being movable from a receivingposition, corresponding with the retracted reed position, in the weftdirection relative to the clamping means which is also carried by thereed towards a damping position corresponding with the beating upposition of the reed.

As a result of this, when it is desired to weave smaller cloth widths,the device comprising the catching means and the clamping means may beshifted relative to the reed, such that said device is located at ashorter distance from the weft inserting device, and shorter weftlengths may be used.

In the machine according to the above mentioned patent application asucking nozzle is positioned at the side remote from the weft insertingdevice, said nozzle serving to suck the leading end of an inserted weftthread, and, after the inserted weft thread has been beaten up by thereed into the cloth and subsequently the weft end projecting beyond theedge of the cloth has been cut off, to suck off said end.

Further according to the present invention a sucking nozzle ispositioned with its sucking aperture in the deviated portion of the pathof the weft yarn, between the catching means and the beating up line andis mounted together with the guiding piece, the catching means and theclamping means for adjustment in the transverse direction onthe machine.

From US. pat. application Ser. No. 83,176 a weaving machine is known inwhich for inspecting purposes at the side remote from the weft insertingdevice a weft detection device is provided which mainly comprises alight source and a light sensitive resistance cooperating therewith, thelight source being provided in a channel opening into the guidingchannel for the weft thread, and the light sensitive resistancecommunicating through a second channel with the thread guiding channelopposite to the opening of the light source channel, in order to receivea quantity of light which changes when a weft thread passes.

Now in accordance with the present invention a thread detection devicehas been provided such that the channels containing the light source andthe light sensitive resistance open into the receiving channel in theguiding piece.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic perspectiveview of part of a weaving machine according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section of a slightly modified form of reed, takenjust outside the edge of the warp sheets.

looking in the direction of weft insertion, showing the reed in itsretracted position, the catching means and the clamping means beingshown in elevation;

FIG. 3 is an elevation of the catching means and the clamping means asseen in the warp direction, looking from the left in FIG. 2;

FIG. 3a is a fragmentary plan view of the catching means and theclamping means of FIG. 3;

FIG. 4 is an elevation of a portion of the reed and the guiding piece,slidably mounted thereon and accommodating the thread detection means;

FIG. 5 is a wiring diagram of the thread detection means and FIGS. 6-8are schematical plan views showing three consecutive stages in thecooperation between the' catching means and the clamping means.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In FIG. 1 the reference numbers1 and 2 each indicate a side portion of the frame of the weavingmachine. The reed, indicated at 3 is swingable in the direction of thearrow I around a pivot shaft (not shown) between a retracted position(as shown in the drawing) and a beating up position.

The reed proper is formed in a known manner by a series of reed blades 4positioned closely adjacent each other in the transverse direction ofthe machine, said reed blades being at their lower ends received in thereed beam 5 or 5a and at their upper ends projecting into a rail 6.

The weaving shed has been indicated at 7 and is delimited by the upperwarp 8, the lower warp 9 and the reed blades 4. The cloth that hasalready been woven is indicated at 10 and extends above the temple 12.The heating up line is indicated at 13, e.g. the line along which a weftinserted through the weaving shed is beaten up into the cloth by thereed in its operative beating up position.

The weft insertion may be effected by means of a flowing fluid, such aspressurized air. Accordingly a blowing nozzle 14 is applied at one sideof the weaving machine.

The transport of a weft launched by the blowing nozzle 14 in fact takesplace through the tunnel 15 which is delimited by U-shaped notches inthe reed blades 4 which notches are open in the direction of the beatingup line 13. The transport of the weft through the wcaving shed andthrough the reed tunnel 15 respectively may, particularly with thelarger weaving widths, be assisted by means of intermediate blowingnozzles carried by the reed. For the sake of clarity such auxiliaryblowing nozzles are not shown.

At the end of the reed remote from the blowing nozzle 14 a guiding piece16 or 160 is mounted. Said guiding piece has a projecting foot 17 or 170engaging in a corresponding longitudinal groove of the reed beam 5 or 5aand is fixed by means of a clamp 18 slidably engaging the rail 6. Aprojecting portion 19 of the guiding piece fits in the reed tunnel 15.

FIG. 2 is a vertical section which shows the side of the guiding piece160 that faces toward the blowing nozzle 14.

FIG. 1 shows the side facing away from the blowing nozzle 14 of aslightly modified form of guiding piece 16. In the form shown in FIG. 1,the guiding piece 16 has a rectangular projecting foot 17 that fitsunder a rectangular shoulder of the reed beam 5, whereas in FIG. 2 theguiding piece 16a has a rounded foot 17a fitting in a rounded grooveformed in the reed beam 5a.

Both in FIG. 1 and in FIG. 2, the position of the guiding piece alongthe reed beam can be adjusted to fit a different width of cloth by firstloosening the clamp 18, then sliding the guiding piece to a new positionalong the reed beam, and then retightening the clamp 18 on the rail 6.opening The guiding piece portion 19 is provided with a catching channel20, of which the end (FIG. 2) facing the blowing nozzle 14 opens intothe reed tunnel and of which the other end is deviated into the beatingup direction of the reed and ends in an opening 200 (FIG. 1). Furtherthe catching channel 20 is open along its full length towards thebeating up line 13 because of the presence of a slot 201).

Dependent on the desired cloth width the guiding piece 16 may be fixedon the reed at a greater or smaller distance from the blowing nozzle 14.

A block 21 is slidably mounted along the lower side of the reed beam 5or 50 (see also FIGS. 2 and 3) and can be secured in place in anydesired position along the reed beam by means ofa set screw 21a mountedin an upstanding bracket 21b of the block 21. The block 21 carries thecatching means 22 and the clamping means 23 cooperating therewith. Thecatching means 22 and the clamping means 23 are pivotally mounted arounda common shaft 24 mounted in the bracket 21b on the block 21 and aremutually coupled by a spring 25 tending to pivot the two means towardone another into the clamping position. The clamping means 23 normallyengages an abutment screw 26 carried by the block 21, whereas thecatching means 22 at a boss 27 thereon, is pivotally connected to anactuating rod 28 which extends obliquely below the temple 12 to a pivotpoint 29.

FIG. 3 shows the catching means 22in the weft end receiving position. Inthis position, which corresponds with the retracted reed position, e.g.the position in which a weft may be inserted through the reed tunnel 15,the receiving eyelet 30 of the the catching means 22 is directionopposite the opening 20:! of the catching channel 20 in the guidingpiece 16, and lies in a plane which is slightly spaced in the beating updirectio from the opening 20a. Therefore the leading end of a weftinserted by the blowing nozzle 14 into the weaving shed will be deviatedby the guiding piece 16 into the beating up direction of the reed or thewarp direction and will thereby extend through the receiving eyelet 30(see the stage according to FIG. 6). This extension of the leading endof the weft through the eyelet 30 is promoted in that at the side of theeyelet 30 remote from the channel oepning 20a the receiving end ofasuction nozzle is positioned. This suction nozzle, which may beconstituted by a simple tubular nozzle 31, is carried on the slidableblock 21 by means of clamps 32 and 33 secured to the bracket 21b, andtherefore moves together with the reed.

The suction nozzle 31 is shown in side elevation in FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is adetail in that it is an elevation showing only the catching means andthe clamping means, looking from the left in FIG. 2. Thus the suctionnozzle 31 is not present in FIG. 3, but the location of the suctionnozzle, 31 is indicated by shadow lines in FIG. 3.

As shown in FIG. 3a, the clamping means 22 is provided with a thickenedclamping head 34. When the reed is in its retracted position, the rod 28is under tension, and thecatching means 22 is thereby pulled toward theright in FIG. 3, away from the clamping means 23. The abutment screw 26prevents the clamping means 23 from following the catching means 22 asthe catching means 22 is pulled to the right in FIG. 3 by the rod 28.

When the reed 3 moves in the beating up direction e.g. to the left asseen in FIG. 2, the rod 28 is pivoting around its pivot point 29, as aresult of which the thrust of the rod 28, combined with the action ofthe spring 25 rotates the catching means 22 about the shaft 24 to theleft (as seen in FIG. 3). The catching means 22 with its clamping head34 (FIG. 6) is thus moved towards the clamping means 23 which is stillheld against the.

abutment screw 26 by the action of the spring 25. Thus before the reedhas arrived in the beatup position, the weft end w, extending throughthe eyelet 30, becomes clamped as shown in FIG. 7 when the clampinghead34 of the catching means 22 engages the upper end of the clampingmeans 23. Thereafter the catching means 22 now carrying with it theclamping means 23 continues to be turned by the thrust of the rod 28through a certain distance to the left (as seen in FIG. 3) away from theabutment 26, whereby the weft is drawn taut (see FIG. 7).

An ejector blade 35, shown in FIG. 3 3a but omitted from FIG. 2, extendsthrough and is movable in a vertical slot 35a which is formed in thethickened clamping head 34 of the catching means 22. The ejector blade35 is pivotally mounted on a projecting arm 23a of the clamping means23. Fixed in the end of the blade 35 is a laterally projecting pin 36which is guided in a vertical groove 37 cut in one side of the slot 35awhich is formed in the clamping head 34. When the catching means 22first moves toward the left from the catching position according to FIG.3, before the clamping head of the catching'means strikes the clampingmeans 23, the action of the groove 37 on the pin 36 pulls the ejectorblade 35 downward until the rounded under side of the blade 35 cams theweft thread end w aside, whereby the upper end of the blade 35 slidesdownward past the weft end so that the upper end of the blade 35 arrivesbelow the weft thread end before the thread end is clamped between theclamping means 23 and the clamping head 34.

When the reed is again retracted from the beating up position, the means22 and 23 first move together to the right (as seen in FIG. 3) until theclamping means 23 again abuts the abutment screw 26, whereafter thecatching means 22 alone is pulled further to the right by the rod 28.Thereby the action of the groove 37 on the pin 36 causes the ejectorblade 35 to move upwardly. The concave upper side of the blade 35 thusengages the weft thread end, and causes said end to slide away over theupper side of the clamping portion 34 and to be completely sucked intothe sucking nozzle 31 as shown in FIG. 8. Said weft thread end then doesnot form an obstruction for the next weft and may be cut off at thismoment by energization of the elect-rically operated cutting device 38,which is similar to the conventional cutting device 38a used for cuttingthe weft thread from the thread supply, whereafter the weft thread endis discharged by the sucking nozzle 31.

Finally with reference to the diagram of FIG. 5 the thread detectiondevice cooperating with the guiding piece 16 is described. Said threaddetection device is mainly constituted by the light source indicated at40 in the diagram of FIG. 5 and by the light sensitive resistanceindicated at 41. In reality the light source 40 supplied by the voltagesource 42 is provided in a bore 43 (N64) provided in the guiding piece16, said bore opening into the catching channel 20. For that purpose thelight source is executed as a miniature incandescent lamp, a GaAs diodeor similar small light source. The second bore in the guiding piece 16has been indicated at 44 and opens from the opposite side into thecatching channel 20 and contains the light sensitive resistance 41 whichmay be formed by a CdS resistance or photodiode.

Each time when a weft inserted from the other side into the weaving shedarrives with its leading end in the guiding piece and is caught by thecatching means, this means a change in the quantity of light received bythe resistance 41 from the light source 40.

The light signal obtained in this way forms an indication that a wefthas actually been inserted from the other side of the weaving machine.Said light signal may be transformed, as indicated in the diagram ofFIG. 5, by an amplifier 27 into an electric signal which is required tokeep energized the drive of the weaving machine.

I claim:

1. A weaving machine of the type having at least at one side a weftinserting-device and at the other side, carried by the reed, a catchingmeans and a clamping means cooperating therewith, for receiving,catching and tensioning weft threads launched through a weaving shed,characterized by a guiding piece mounted to the reed adjustable in theweft direction and provided with a receiving channel situated in theinsertion path of the weft thread, which channel deviates at its endremote from the weft inserting device into the beating up direction ofthe reed and has an opening on its beating up side extending along itscomplete length, the catching means being spaced in the beating updirection from the deviated end of the receiving channel, and beingmovably mounted on the reed for movement, generally parallel to theshed, from a weft threadreceiving position to a clamping position inwhich the weft thread is clamped between the catching means and theclamping means, and mechanism actuated by movement of the reed towardits beating up position for moving the catching means toward itsclamping position.

2. A weaving machine according to claim I, in which the weft insertingpath is determined by a tunnel which is longitudinally open towards thebeating up line and delimited by a plurality of substantially U.-shapedreed blades, and wherein the guiding piece comprises a filling piecewhich is adjustably mounted in said tunnel.

3. A Weaving machine according to claim 1 wherein said catching meanscomprises a catching eyelet having an escape aperture for the weftthread and a clamping surface cooperating with the clamping means, anejection means being provided which is movable between a lower and anupper position, and having mechanism for moving the ejection means fromits lower position to its upper position during movement of the catchingmeans from its clamping position back to its receiving position, therebyejecting the weft thread through the escape aperture of the eyelet.

4. A weaving machine according to claim 3, characterized in that thereceiving eyelet is formed at the end of a lever which is pivotablearound a shaft substantially extending in the warp direction, aroundwhich shaft also the clamping means constituted by a lever is pivotablefrom an abutting position into the weft direction together with thecatching means brought into the clamping position.

5. A weaving machine according to claim 1 in which a cutting device forcutting the weft thread ends pro- 40 jecting beyond the relative clothedge is provided at the side remote from the weft inserting device andwherein further a sucking nozzle is provided for sucking in the headends of the inserted weft threads and subsequently sucking off the cutthread ends, characterized in that the sucking nozzle is provided withits sucking opening in the deviated portion of the path of the weftyarn, adjacent to the catching means and is adjustable in the transversedirection of the machine together with the guiding piece, the catchingmeans and the clamping means.

6. A weaving machine according to claim 1 in which for inspecting theweft at the side remote from the weft inserting device a threaddetection device is provided, said device substantially comprising alight source and a light sensitive resistance cooperating therewith,-the light source being provided in a channel opening into a guidingchannel for the weft thread, the light sensitive resistancecommunicating bya second channel with the thread guiding channelopposite to the opening of the light source channel, for receiving aquantity of light changing when a weft thread passes, characterized inthat the thread detection device is provided such that the channelscontaining the light source and the light sensitive resistance open intothe receiving channel in the guiding piece.

1. A weaving machine of the type having at least at one side a weftinserting device and at the other side, carried by the reed, a catchingmeans and a clamping means cooperating therewith, for receiving,catching and tensioning weft threads launched through a weaving shed,characterized by a guiding piece mounted to the reed adjustable in theweft direction and provided with a receiving channel situated in theinsertion path of the weft thread, which channel deviates at its endremote from the weft inserting device into the beating up direction ofthe reed and has an opening on its beating up side extending along itscomplete length, the catching means being spaced in the beating updirection from the deviated end of the receiving channel, and beingmovably mounted on the reed for movement, generally parallel to theshed, from a weft thread-receiving position to a clamping position inwhich the weft thread is clamped between the catching means and theclamping means, and mechanism actuated by movement of the reed towardits beating up position for moving the catching means toward itsclamping position.
 2. A weaving machine according to claim 1, in whichthe weft inserting path is determined by a tunnel which islongitudinally open towards the beating up line and delimited by aplurality of substantially U-shaped reed blades, and wherein the guidingpiece comprises a filling piece which is adjustably mounted in saidtunnel.
 3. A weaving machine according to claim 1 wherein said catchingmeans comprises a catching eyelet having an escape aperture for the weftthread and a clamping surface cooperating with the clamping means, anejection means being provided which is movable between a lower and anupper position, and having mechanism for moving the ejection means fromits lower position to its upper position during movement of the catchingmeans from its clamping position back to its receiving position, therebyejecting the weft thread through the escape aperture of the eyelet.
 4. Aweaving machine according to claim 3, characterized in that thereceiving eyelet is formed at the end of a lever which is pivotablearound a shaft substantially extending in the warp direction, aroundwhich shaft also the clamping means constituted by a lever is pivotablefrom an abutting position into the weft direction together with thecatching means brought into the clamping position.
 5. A weaving machineaccording to claim 1 in which a cutting device for cutting the weftthread ends projecting beyond the relative cloth edge is provided at theside remote from the weft inserting device and wherein further a suckingnozzle is provided for sucking in the head ends of the inserted weftthreads and subsequently sucking off the cut thread ends, characterizedin that the sucking nozzle is provided with its sucking opening in thedeviated portion of the path of the weft yarn, adjacent to the catchingmeans and is adjustable in the transverse direction of the machinetogether with the guiding piece, the catching means and the clampingmeans.
 6. A weaving machine according to claim 1 in which for inspectingthe weft at the side remote from the weft inserting device a threaddetection device is provided, said device substantially comprising alight source and a light sensitive resistance cooperating therewith, thelight source being provided in a channel opening into a guiding channelfor the weft thread, the light sensitive resistance communicating by asecond channel with the thread guiding channel opposite to the openingof the light source channel, for receiving a quantity of light changingwhen a weft thread passes, characterized in that the thread detectiondevice is provided such that the channels containing the light sourceand the light sensitive resistance open into the receiving channel inthe guiding piece.